With the growth of hemp industries worldwide, it’s good to know the difference between Hemp vs. Marijuana.
The launch of the 2014 Farm Bill, which gives permits for hemp research programs in the U.S., has fuelled interest in hemp as a viable crop, whether for seed production or for products such as textiles, paper, and rope. Canada legalised industrial hemp in 1998, and grows up to 80,000 acres a year.
Hemp and marijuana are, in fact, two different species of cannabis. Industrial hemp has less than 0.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (the psychoactive compound), while marijuana contains between 3 to 15 percent. Another distinct difference is that while marijuana is used for medicinal and recreational purposes, hemp has thousands of industrial and manufacturing uses, from food and health products to textiles, paper, and construction materials.
In the early days, hemp was a mainstay crop in the United States. Upon arrival in America, colonists were required to produce rope and sails for the British Navy. During World War II, hemp farming in the U.S. reached its height of production. Before that time, rope and fibre was mostly imported from Southeast Asia.
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